FRISCO, Texas – John Hauser made a case to be named the permanent head coach, and many of his players afterward agreed as Ohio topped UNLV 17-10 to win its seventh straight bowl game Tuesday night in the Frisco Bowl at the Ford Center.

First-year head coach Brian Smith was placed on leave Dec. 1 with Hauser appointed interim head coach. Smith was fired a week ago, and Hauser is expected to be one of the primary candidates to replace Smith.

Given the turmoil, the Bobcats (9-4) were considered underdogs against the Mount West Conference runner-up Rebels (10-4). The Ohio defense, led by Hauser as coordinator, was dominant, and the Bobcats controlled the game throughout. Multiple players stood behind Hauser as he was interviewed immediately after the game and expressed their desire he be named the head coach.

Sieh Bangura was named the player of the game, rushing for 149 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries, while Parker Navarro was an efficient 11-of-15 passing for 143 yards and rushed for another 43 yards and a touchdown, overcoming an interception on his first passing attempt.

Mountain West Conference Player of the Year Anthony Colandrea was held in check, going 19-of-30 passing for 184 yards and interception for UNLV. He scored the team’s only touchdown on a 2-yard touchdown run with 4:45 remaining, making it a one-score game, but his team never got the ball back.

The Rebels, ranked in the top 20 in the nation in scoring and yards coming into the game, finished with just 281 yards of offense.

Turnovers were plentiful early, and neither team got on the scoreboard until Navarro scored on a 5-yard rushing touchdown with 10:02 remaining in the second quarter, capping a long drive that started at Ohio’s own 16-yard line. A key play was a 42-yard completion from Navarro to Chase Hendricks, who finished with 87 yards on four catches.

David Dellnbach’s extra point attempt was off the right upright, keeping it 6-0, which was the halftime score.

The Bobcats made a two-score game by opening the second half with another scoring drive, with Bangura scoring on a 23-yard run. Navarro’s two-point conversion pass to Hendricks made it 14-0.

Ramon Villela kicked a 50-yard field goal on the Rebels’ next drive to finally get the Rebels on the board, but the did not score again until the final five minutes.

Dellenbach made up for his missed extra point and answered the UNLV kick by drilling a season-long 45-yard field goal to make the score 17-3 with 10:49 remaining.

The Rebels followed that with their only touchdown drive of the game, though it was not easy. Colandrea rushed for 17 yards on a third-and-3 play to the 3-yard line, but they did not reach the end zone until fourth down, using up another minute and a half of clock plus a timeout.

Though its defense was solid throughout, UNLV could not get a stop when it needed it most to get the ball back. A facemask penalty gave Ohio a first down, Bangura rushed for another, and then a Navarro conversion run on third-and-3 allowed the Bobcats to kneel out the clock.

Though neither team scored early, both had chances. After Miles Cremascoli blocked a Rebels punt, Bangura rushed 27 yards on the Bobcats’ first offensive play to the UNLV 26, but Navarro was picked off on a deep pass attempt immediately afterward.

Ohio recovered what initially was called a Colandrea fumble only a few players later, but upon replay, he was ruled to be down, and UNLV moved inside the Bobcats 10-yard line. Colandrea lost the ball, however, and Isaac Ackerman recovered to keep it scoreless.

After Bangura broke off a 31-yard run, a bad snap on a third-and-3 play returned the turnover favor for the Rebels, with Marsel McDuffie coming up with the ball near the red zone.

UNLV turned it over on downs just across midfield after Ohio’s touchdown, but after a quick punt by the Bobcats, the Rebels had another chance in the first half. They drove to the Bobcats 33 but Colandrea was picked off by DJ Walker with 32 seconds left in the half.

Ohio’s third turnover led to UNLV’s first points. The ball hit a blocker’s foot on a UNLV punt and was recovered by Kayden McGee to give the Rebels the ball at the Bobcats’ 30-yard line, setting up Villela’s field goal.

Both teams punted on their next possessions before Dellenbach’s field goal.

Jaden Bradley caught four passes for 62 yards, while Jai’Den Thomas rushed 11 times for 51 yard for the Rebels.

Ohio’s huge defense effort came despite losing tackles for loss leader Anas Luqman, who was flagged for targeting only three and a half minutes into the game.

The Bobcats won at least nine games for the fourth year in a row and have not lost a bowl game since 2016.